MERCURY MUSIC PRIZE: The Contenders

The Coronavirus pandemic has put the brakes on a lot of events in the music industry this year but the annual Mercury Music Prize is going ahead as normal. The nominations are expected to be announced tomorrow (23rd July 2020) and there’s no shortage of contenders for the important award this year. We take a look at some of the albums that have a chance of joining recent recipients Dave, Wolf Alice, Sampha and Skepta in the Mercury Prize hall of fame.

FKA Twigs – ‘MAGDALENE’

It took more than 5 years for the follow-up to Twigs’ debut, ‘LP1‘, to arrive but it was absolutely worth the wait. That record was one of the favourites to win back in 2014 but was beaten by Young Fathers. Enthralling, introspective and claustrophobic, it could well be 2nd time lucky for Gloucestershire’s Tahliah Barnett.

Charli XCX – ‘HOW I’M FEELING NOW’

For the past 7 years, Charli has had one foot in radio-friendly pop music and the other in something more leftfield and experimental. She’s as at home collaborating with Rita Ora or touring with Taylor Swift as she is knocking out mind-bending, futuristic PC music with Sophie. ‘how i’m feeling now’ is Charli’s lockdown project – she made the record in isolation in 6 weeks, allowing fans and other artists to collaborate and sharing the entire process online. The result is a spectactular and exciting almost Eurotrance record which possibly defines this period in our lives more than any other record this year.

Michael Kiwanuka – ‘KIWANUKA’

Michael is no stranger to the Mercury Prize shortlist – both of his first 2 records, ‘Home Again’ and ‘Love & Hate‘ were nominated but didn’t clinch the grand prize. His 3rd record was narrowly beaten to Number 1 by Jeff Lynne’s ELO in November last year. ‘Kiwanuka‘ sounds like one of the all-time great soul records. With many critics labeling it a “masterpiece”, it would be a surprise to not see it on tomorrow’s list.

Sam Fender – ‘HYPERSONIC MISSILES‘

Sam Fender beat Lewis Capaldi to win the Critics’ Choice award at the BRITs in 2019. His full length debut hasn’t sold quite as well as Lewis’ blockbusting effort but it did go straight to Number 1 last year and has certainly been received better critically. The Bruce Springsteen influences are clear. This is the sort of record that is sometimes a bit too big for the Mercury panel but the undeniably timely lyrical themes make it a serious contender.

Baxter Dury – ‘THE NIGHT CHANCERS‘

The 6th record from Ian Dury‘s son is 30 minutes of character-driven vignettes immaculately co-produced by Craig Silvey who produced the last 3 records by The Horrors. Dury’s narration perfectly complimented by the interesting instrumentation, whilst not an obvious front-runner, it definitely deserves a look.

Laura Marling – ‘SONG FOR OUR DAUGHTER’

Originally released digitally only in April and then given a proper physical release just last week, this is Laura’s seventh studio album and her 6th in a row to make the UK top 10. She’s been nominated 3 times before but has never won. This beautiful album in which Laura writes to her fictional daughter is considered by many to be her best yet. This could finally be her winning entry.

The Big Moon – ‘WALKING LIKE WE DO’

It was something of a surprise when The Big Moon’s debut LP, ‘Love in the 4th Dimension’ was nominated back in 2017. Since then, the festival crowds and gig venues are getting bigger, they’ve drawn huge praise for support slots with Pixies and Bombay Bicycle Club and cuts from this album have been playlisted on Radio 1 and 6 Music. One of the first records released in 2020, this synth-heavy, harmony-filled record about the end of the year set the bar very high for releases which followed.

Georgia – ‘SEEKING THRILLS‘

Georgia has undoubtedly been one of the major casualties of festival season being cancelled this year. There are some acts and records which are perfect for winning over crowds at festivals and we have no doubt that Georgia would have been one of the major talking points of the Summer. Her one-person band show tore the roof off when she supported Carly Rae Jepsen earlier this year. It’s a joyous and hedonistic dancefloor record and lord knows 2020 needs those.

Skepta, Chip and Young Adz – ‘INSOMNIA’

Skepta of course beat David Bowie‘s ‘Blackstar’ to win the Mercury Prize back in 2016 for his genre-defining ‘Konnichiwa’ album. This collaboration with the artist-formerly-known-as Chipmunk and one half of D-Block Europe isn’t getting much coverage as a potential contender this year. It’s probably the best UK rap record released this year and would be a worthy addition to the list.

Rina Sawayama – ‘SAWAYAMA’

Only 12 albums can be nominated each year and Mercury has the challenge of balancing commercial and critical success and a number of different dramas. With strong pop records from Charli XCX and Dua Lipa, ‘SAWAYAMA’ might be overlooked. It’s the sort of record that Lady Gaga thinks she’s made – massive pop hooks and genuinely exciting and innovative production.

The Murder Capital – ‘WHEN I HAVE FEARS‘

Released in August last year, right at the start of the eligibility period for this year’s prize, The Murder Capital’s debut may not be fresh in the panel’s minds. The Irish post-punk band made a record which is urgent, raw and vulnerable. Another band who would have turned heads on the festival circuit this year, this album deserves to be shouted about in the way critics have about Idles or Fontaines DC.

Blossoms – ‘FOOLISH LOVING SPACES‘

There’s not been much room on critics’ lists for big indie bands recently. It is obviously important to ensure coverage for overlooked artists and genres, and the Mercury Prize list has to be diverse and inclusive to ensure that as many of the fantastic records from all across the musical spectrum are being given deserved attention. When a big indie band makes a record full of genuinely lovely and excellent pop songwriting – like Blossoms have with their 3rd album – it’s important that snobbery doesn’t prevent it from getting the praise it deserves.

Kano – ‘HOODIES ALL SUMMER’

For 15 years, Kano has been consistently delivering honest and authentic British rap music. He’s not given in when commercial tastes have changed in the way that most of his contemporaries have done. He’s finally seeing the sort of commercial and critical success he’s long -deserved. 2019’s ‘Hoodies All Summer‘ became his 2nd UK top 10 album following the Mercury-nominated ‘Made in the Manor’. He also completed his biggest ever UK tour including a sold out show at Royal Albert Hall and was scheduled to headline the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury this year. This record might just be his strongest yet – there’s equal coverage of good times and bad times and the production never drops below excellent.

There are so many other excellent records which deserve to be considered – Porridge Radio, Lapsley, Stormzy, Lianne La Havas, Mahalia, HMLTD, Sorry, Dua Lipa, Ghostpoet, J Hus, Jessie Ware, Nadine Shah, Shabaka + The Ancestors, Elbow, maybe even a surprise entry from Harry Styles.

Mercury Prize have certainly got their work cut out in picking just 12 great records from the last 12 months. Check back here for the list tomorrow!